Dismissed as manufactured distractions while simultaneously feared as symptoms of deeper social decay, culture wars are widely – and dangerously – misunderstood. Why and how do they tear so many communities apart? And can anything stop them?

Drawing on key battlegrounds in the UK, US and beyond, The Truth About Culture Wars looks past the headlines to reveal what these conflicts are really about. It uncovers the role of “absolutist advocacy” in fuelling intolerance and extremism, draws out the key political implications and explores consensus-building approaches that may yet bring our fractured communities back together.

This timely book is essential reading for students and scholars of contemporary politics, as well as policy makers, researchers, think tanks and anyone seeking to better understand – and respond to – the rise of social and political polarisation.